Fulfillment

The key to a joy-filled, happy life is fulfillment. We all desire it. We all relentlessly try to achieve it.

The greatest story ever told begins with man trying to find fulfillment.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5

God actually told her that she could eat of any fruit, just not this one tree, but the woman in the garden was convinced that God was withholding good from her. She wanted to find true fulfillment.

It isn’t just Adam and Eve, but the entire Bible is a story of how man tries to find fulfillment. We could fill pages and pages with examples. Abraham tried to find fulfillment through women. Moses tried to find fulfillment through taking glory for himself. The people built the Tower of Babel because they wanted a “name for themselves.” Judas tried to find fulfillment with money, as he accepted a bribe to tell lead others to Jesus. David looked for fulfillment from Bathsheba through adultery which led to murder. Peter tried to find fulfillment through pleasing others, as he denied Christ and, on another occasion, wouldn’t have dinner with Gentiles because the Jews were watching. The religious leaders wanted a set of rules to fulfill them. They looked to obedience to the law for fulfillment.

In our culture today, we have new avenues that we believe will lead to fulfillment. Some of the paths we follow:

• Money and materiality will bring fulfillment. We believe that if we can just make so much money, we will be good. Or, we believe our “forever home” will now bring fulfillment.
• Alcohol and drugs will lead to fulfillment. The thought that alcohol will bring acceptance by others, make me more popular.
• The opposite sex will provide fulfillment shows up as we say that “this person will complete me.” We believe that we need someone else to fill the void, the hole.
• Friends will fill the gap, provide fulfillment. “My people” will help me maneuver through life, fulfilling the gap of loneliness. We believe popularity is the key to fulfillment.
• The church and pastor will give me the words to provide fulfillment. We run to church trying to fill the hole each Sunday.
• A job or a title will bring fulfillment. We believe the title will give respect which will lead to fulfillment.
• Obedience will bring fulfillment. We carry the heavy thought of “if I am just good enough,” believing that we can work our way to fulfillment.

And, on and on and on. The list of ways that we try to find fulfillment is endless. I could check everyone of the above boxes, and I am willing to bet that you could check a few of the above statements yourself.

We may not articulate it like this, but deep down we are all searching for fulfillment in life. How we live tends to show where we are looking for fulfillment. We want to be liked by others, command respect, make much money, and have the perfect marriage. Every time we accomplish what we believe to be the key, be it friends or money, the hole of unfulfillment reappears. Fulfillment may arrive for a short time, but, at some point, the gap reappears.

Like every human that has ever lived, we, too, have convinced ourselves that this world will provide fulfillment. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, we have somehow been duped into believing that God, the Creator of the universe, wants to withhold something good from us. It is a lie. The world, the culture we live in is not greater than God.

Romans 12:2 says, “do not conform to the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you by changing the way you think, then you will learn to know His will which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Stop and think about what this verse is saying. Don’t follow the behaviors of this world, trying to find fulfillment and glory in all the wrong places. But, focus on God, and He will change how you think. You focus on God by reading what He says in His Word. When we focus on Him, He will change how we think about life, and we will discover His will which is the best for us. It is “good and pleasing and perfect.”

Jesus spoke to the heart of God this way.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

As Paul traveled the world on his journeys, he saw mankind trying to find fulfillment in every way imaginable, and summarizes some of what he has seen in Romans. Paul’s words echo what we see in our culture today.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Romans 1:25

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32

Yes, the Bible is a book about man’s constant struggle, trying to find fulfillment. But, the Bible also consistently shouts and screams the answer to fulfillment. If one opens the pages of the Bible, one consistently reads the answer. The Bible gives us example of example of man’s search for fulfillment and then gives a simple answer, so simple that some can’t accept it.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20

This journey we are all on, trying to find fulfillment, is tiring. It is full of immense pressure, hurt, deadends, and confusion. The fulfillment that our culture offers is a mirage. Like sand through an hourglass, it will fade away.

All we have to do is look to Christ. He is fulfillment.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The world will always point you to a way to have a complete, fulfilled life. And, this way offers zero relief. It is tiring. But, Christ offers a burden-free way. He is fulfillment. He is rest. He is peace. He offers the best.

And, best of all, He is grace no matter what has happened. He looks forward, not backward. He took care of it at the cross.

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